Wellness

[newziesuzie]

http://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/news/20150213/smoking-linked-to-damage-in-the-brain-researche...

Smoking Linked to Damage in the Brain

Cigarette use thins key area for memory, thinking skills and language

WebMD News from HealthDay

Feb. 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- "Smoking may damage part of the brain by causing thinning in a crucial area, new research shows.

The study included more than 500 male and female smokers, former smokers and nonsmokers who were an average of 73 years old.

Brain scans revealed that current and former smokers had a thinner cortex than those who never smoked.

The cortex is where important thought processes such as memory, language and perception occur.

The researchers also found that stopping smoking leads to partial restoration of the cortex's thickness, but the process is slow and incomplete.

Heavy ex-smokers who hadn't smoked for more than 25 years still had a thinner cortex than nonsmokers, the researchers found.

The cortex grows thinner with age, but smoking appears to speed that thinning.

And, a thinner cortex is associated with mental decline, the researchers noted.

The study was published online Feb. 10 in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

"Smokers should be informed that cigarettes could hasten the thinning of the brain's cortex, which could lead to [problems with thinking and memory].

Cortical thinning seems to persist for many years after someone stops smoking," lead author Dr. Sherif Karama, an assistant professor of psychiatry at McGill University in Montreal, said in a university news release."

[YorkieonmyPillow]

There's probably very little in your body that smoking DOESN'T damage.

[hckynut]

A big percentage of adult smokers would like to quit, but some just haven't found the right method to be able to do so successfully. I doubt there are too many adult smokers not aware of the dangers have long-term smoking.Like many other hard decisions and life the smoker has to want to quit and do whatever it takes to accomplish their goal. I personally do not think that more knowledge of damage that can be done will make a hoot of difference to the smokers.

[jessa]

On 2/14/2015 YorkieonmyPillow said:

There's probably very little in your body that smoking DOESN'T damage.

Agreed and you never know which new piece of info about the damages might be the thing that makes somebody decide it's time to quit.........or maybe keep somebody from taking up smoking.

[ritasNo1Fan]

1st destruction is to your gums. Years ago, I substituted "things" ( like maybe hemp) for tobacco & it helped me so much to quit.

[Stray]

If the American Cancer Society ads do not deter a person from smoking, new information about the harmful effects of smoking will have no effect either.

[chrystaltree]

On 2/14/2015 YorkieonmyPillow said:

There's probably very little in your body that smoking DOESN'T damage.

True. It's just a matter of commom sense. You don't need a million dollar study to know that.

[steiny3844]

A recent study found people who don't fight cancer in their lifetime are just lucky. They think money should be used to fight this terrible disease, instead of using so much money trying to change habits. The study being discussed is kind of discouraging because even if you smoked years ago, the damage is done. At least with the lung cancer study, they assured people that stopping would make a difference.

[151949]

I doubt it would take a rocket scientist to figure out that in some way or another smoking is going to seriously damage your body. And yet there are those who continue to light up - go figure. Then when the chicken comes home to roost - heart disease, COPD , cancer etc they think every one should feel sorry for them.

[151949]

On 2/16/2015 chrystaltree said:

On 2/14/2015 YorkieonmyPillow said:

There's probably very little in your body that smoking DOESN'T damage.

True. It's just a matter of commom sense. You don't need a million dollar study to know that.

Common sense seems to be in short supply in the USA these days.